SOUTHERN Junior League title claimants Poole and Swim Bournemouth took on five other league champions in the national semi-final – but it could be up to 11 days before the result is known.

In a situation described as "very rare" by organisers, no race results or team scores were announced at Nuneaton and no medals presented.

All results will kept under wraps and reworked only when SJL officials have identified the title winners, which they have been asked to do by October 15.

A spokesperson for the Nuneaton showdown said: “Only one team can represent the Southern Junior League in the results of the Southern Area final (and national semi-final).

“The other team’s results will be null and void and cannot be used. The gala results will be confirmed and issued with points one to six per race and medals will be awarded accordingly.”

The top four teams in the Nuneaton results will qualify for next month’s national final at Corby. But whichever of Dorset’s top two teams ends up as SJL runners-up will not even feature on the scoresheet.

Swim Bournemouth originally celebrated the SJL title after winning the Bristol final on September 9. But they later lost the eight points won in races which involved a swimmer who had not been registered due to an administrative error.

The deduction apparently left the south coast neighbours level on 214 gala points each.

Officials then docked five more points and declared Poole the new champions – only for Swim Bournemouth to challenge the extra deduction, claiming there was nothing in the rules to permit it.

Both teams were then invited to swim at Nuneaton pending a resolution.

Swim Bournemouth coach Sam Woodward said: “It was a very strange gala (at Nuneaton) with no points or scores being announced.

“I am so proud of the performances of our junior swimmers – they represented Bournemouth with pride and passion.

“The support from our parents in the gallery was possibly the most visual and vocal I have seen since I arrived in Bournemouth nine years ago.

“Whatever the outcome, I could not have asked more of my team.”

Poole coach Becky Brown said: “We have come such a long way since two years ago, when we just scraped into the SJL final.

“Having just one week to prepare was not ideal but it was a proud moment for the club to be in a national semi-final and to be as competitive as we were was stunning and quite humbling to watch.

“Whatever the final outcome, we will hold our heads high and remember that our youngsters made club history.”

The other teams at Nuneaton were national champions Guildford City, Camden Swiss Cottage, City of Derby, Leicester Sharks and UEA City of Norwich.

Bournemouth Collegiate School’s Leo McCrea celebrated his selection for the British Para-swimming Academy squad with a hat-trick of gold medals at the South East Regional Championship in High Wycombe.

The S6 swimmer won the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley, improving by five seconds his personal best in the IM.

Parkstone Grammar School won four of the six girls’ titles in the Dorset round of the England Schools relay championship at Dorchester.

The school won the junior and senior freestyle and medley relays and were second to Dorchester’s Thomas Hardye School in the intermediate events.

Bournemouth School won both senior boys’ relays, Twynham both intermediate events while Poole Grammar won the junior freestyle and Highcliffe the junior medley.

The 30 fastest teams in England in each event will qualify for next month’s national final at the Olympic pool in London.